Method of making cylindrical articles from flat blanks



y 1930- w. H. KLOCKE 1,760,558

Patented May 27, 1,930

UNIi-TED s'r-A'ras PATENT orrlca WILLIAM H. xnocxn, or woonnavmq, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOB To run cLnvELANIJ omrn'rn nnoNzEcomrANY, or CLEVELAND,OHIO, A CORPORATION or OHIO unrnon or MAKING OYLINDRIGAL ARTICLES anon:FLAT BLANKS Application filed December 2, 1926. Serial No. 152,159.

7 The present invention, relating, as indicated, to a method of makingbearings, is particularly directed to an improved method of forming flatstrips into cylindrical bear-.

ings or other articles and to producing a finished cylindrical articlein this general man:

the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out inthe claims; the I annexed drawing and the following description'settingforth in detail one approved method of car ing out the invention, suchdisclosed mode, owever, constituting but one of the various ways inwhich the principle of the invention may be used.

. In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a strip of flat stock; Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view of the stock after the first step or operationof my improved method; Fig. 3 is a view of. the

partly formed article of Fig. 2 when placed in position for thefinishing operation between dies formed for that purpose; Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view of the completed cylinder; and Fig. 5 is aviewsimilar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a further stage in the manufactureof the bearing shown in Fig; 3.

p In forming flat stock into cylindrical articles it is customary tofirst form a strip of flat stock into a U-shaped piece between male andfemale dies having the contour and dimensions ofthe finished cylinder.In other words, the strip of flat stock is forced into asemi-cylindrical die which has a diameter equivalent to the finishedoutside diameter of the cylinder'to be produced b means of a cylindricalpunch w ich has a iameter equal to the finished inside diameter of thecylinder to be produced. The result of this operation is the formationof a U-shaped strip, the bot-.

tom portion of which is of the finished size and shape. The followingoperations consist in flowing the upwardly projecting and parallel sidesof the U over a cylindrical mandrel-until the edges of the two sidesmeet.

1 It is then necessary to again work the cylin-' der between dies toforce the two abutting edges into contact and this last operation isreally'a swaging operation made necessary because otherwise the twoedges of the metal will project tangentially upwardly and outwardly awayfrom the-mandrel due to the in herent resiliency of the metal. The,final forming operation invariably results in either a thickening of thestrip adjacent to the seam,

that is the abutting edges, or to the formation of a flattened portionalong this seam, so that the resulting cylinder is not accurate inthickness nd is not truly cylindrical.

T e present invention is directed to a method of producing bearings toavoid this lack of uniformity in the thickness of the metal and tosecure a perfect abutment of the meeting edges of the stock and a trulycylindrical contour in the finished article.

, Referring now to Fig. 1 there is shown a blank of flat stock 1 ofsuitable material, such,

for: example 'as bearing brass. This blank is.

first placed over a semi-cylindrical die, into which it is pressed bymeans of a cylindrical punch of suitable form and bent and worked intothe channel form 2, which is shown in Fig. 2. The form which is given tothe curved bottom portion 3 of the blank 2 can be seen by reference tothe circle 14 shown in dotted lines within the channel, which representsthe finished inside diameter and form of. the cylinder to be. produced,and by reference to this it will be seen that the blank has been formedwith its corners 4 bent about a shorterradius than the radius of thecircle 14, that is a radius that is shorter than the finished inslde'radius of the cylinder. The upper edges 5 of the channel are bentinwardly out of parallelism so that they incline toward each other.

The preliminarily formed-channel 2 is next finished in a similaroperation-in the manner having a semi-cylindrical recess therein havinga diameter equal to the outside diameter of the cylinder tobe produced.The channel initially rests upon the edges or corners of this recess 9in the die 8, and the channel is worked into its finished form by meansof a die 10 having a semi-cylindrical recess 11 therein of diameterequal to the finished outside diameter of the cylinder, which is movedtoward the die 8, en gin over the u per ed es or portions 50 the c annelblan 2. The action of these dies as they approach each other i is ofcourse to force toward each other and die -8 an the mandrel 7, and inthe other case of the upper die 10 and the mandrel 7, and this action isentirely different from the folding of the projecting u per ed of theblank, which is the action e ected uring the corres'vpgnding o ration ofthe present meth- 'f mm b ksl b1 u h ito courses rings ac i ty, uetot einherent redfiencqbut whe metal is forced between dies it is caused toflow and retain the sha into which it is flowed, and that is the actionwhich is produced on the channel blank du the forming operationjust'descri Hi the result t at the upper edges of the lank abut againsteach other and retain the true cylindrical sha into which they as havebeen caused flow uring opera:

tion.

Thefinished cylinder is of absolutely 1111-.

form thickness and is a true cylinder, as shownin Fig. 4. The chiefdifierence between the presentmethodandthe one now in neral use is thatin the present method parts of the blank are worked and caused to fiowdur' both the: orming and .the finishmg operat1ons,'and.because-of thisaction the blank in the formwhich it is'given between the dies. In themethod now in generaluse changed during the operation, the

operation'merely causing the upper portions, or the sides of thechannel, to b folded over against eachothenjthat is, first one-half ofthe cylinder is formed and then the other half, and in case is anyportion of the blank caused to. flow dies.

In the present method. all portions of the blank are at some time duringthe formation is bent over a die or article" ,tion formed 0 a pluralitof radii and then desired finished article and then e'firstoperationforms.- the-lower half of the cylinder and-this portion of' the blank isnot operated upon or ofradii 'difiemnt'from that o the d I resu tin pronot is suitable for uses to which the pro net of the previous processcould not be appliedat all. I v

Other modes of applying-the prmclple of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the processherein disclosed, provided thestep or steps stated by any of thefollowing claims or the equivalent of such stated step or be employed. v4 s I therefore particularly point out andd rectly claim as'myinvention 1. In a method of making cylindrical articles from flatblanks, the steps which consist in first forming a fiat blank into a U-shaped channel of which the base of the U has a plurality of radiidiflerent from that of the desired-finished cylinder, and then causingthe metal in the side walls and bottom of the U-shaped channel to flowinto true cylin-f I drical shape. 1

2. In a method of making cylindrical articles from flat blanks, thesteps which con-' sist in forming a flat blank into a U-shaped channelhavin a non-cylindrical base porfo rming such non-c rical base,portioninto truly c lindrica form and forcing the side walls 0 saidchannel into circular form I with abutting edges. I

- 3. In a -method of making cylindrical articles fromfflat blanks, thesteps which consist in forming a flat blank into a u-shll-ped channel,the base of which is larger than the" channel into 0 lindrical formwhile causingv all ofthe meta in said blankto flowbetween 4. In a'metnodof makingcylindrical articles from flat blanks, the steps which consistin forming a flat blank into a U-shaped channel, the base of whichis'lar rthan the desired finished article and then channel intocylindrical form while-mul taneously flo the metal of-the channel andchanging t e] curvature of. the base thereof. i

a 'method' of making cylindrical articles from flat blanks, the stepswhich conforming a flat blank into a Ursha'ped channel havingconvergently directedupper arms and a base portion havin a pluralicylinder, and-then causin the metal in sa d arms toflow' into cylindrithereby acquire a permanent set.

an. er cylindrical ormmgsaid Y formandf articles from flat blanks, thesteps which consist in fbrming a flat blank inte a. U-shaped channelhaving convergently directed upper arms, and a base portion of aplurality of radii different from the desired finalradius, and thenforming said channel into a c'ylinder while causing all of the metal insaid channel to flow between dies and thereby acquire a permanent set.

Signed by me this 19 day of November,

WILLIAM H. KLOGKE.

